BMW X1

Six years and a claimed 730,000 cars later, BMW has given the world a new X1. In that time, BMW has made an effort to understand what a modern day compact luxury crossover buyer wants and they decided to start off with a clean sheet of paper. The new X1 shares nothing with the old car, which is good news, because, the first generation car was cramped, unrefined, poorly finished and never really a looker. Enter the new X1.

The new X1 is 53mm taller and 23mm wider than the previous generation X1, but a tad shorter. It has a shorter bonnet and more cab forward design compared to the more ‘raised estate’ look of the original. The first generation X1 was spawned from the 3 series Touring platform, with its engine mounted longitudinally and powering the rear wheels. The new one is based on what is internally known as the UKL2 chassis, which underpins the Mini and BMW 2 Series Active Tourer. The transverse engine layout and front wheel drive architecture may have upset purists, but it has resulted in a better crossover than before.